The Hunter's Promise
by MsWolfGirl
Summary: It was just another day at the diner for Maya. That is until the Winchester brothers blow into town and everything goes crazy! After saving her from a deadly encounter, the boys find themselves drawn to her and her mysterious past. But what they don't expect is the drastic change that the girl is destined to bring about. SamXOC
1. Chapter 1

**Hey there! This is my first attempt at a Supernatural story, so please don't be too harsh! However, constructive criticism is highly appreciated! Please review and let me know what you think! **

**~Disclaimer~ I do not own anything Supernatural related, just my OC Maya and other characters that aren't from the show :) Enjoy!**

* * *

I listened to the gossip being spread as I walked through the diner. People in these small towns could never keep their mouths shut about anything. Which is why I never told anyone anything personal about me.

Sure, as a waitress I had to be friendly and open to small talk, but I avoided conversations about myself like the plague.

"Maya! Order up!" I snapped out of my thoughts, smoothing out my dark blue V-neck shirt and dark blue jeans. I walked into the kitchen and grabbed the bacon cheeseburger and salad off the counter, but paused before walking out.

"Cory, this isn't for one of my tables..." The short blonde teenager looked at me sheepishly and nodded his head. He was a junior in high school and the youngest employee at the diner. He was shy, but sweet and he was like the little brother I never had.

"I know, but Krista just got in a fight with the boss and walked out. It's for the two guys in the corner." He pointed me in the right direction and gave me an apologetic smile. I sighed and carried the food over.

"Hey guys, I have a burger and a salad here for you." I said with a smile.

The two men looked up at me. One was considerably taller with shaggy brown hair and expressive hazel eyes, a kind smile gracing his handsome face. The shorter one had stunning green eyes and short dark brown hair. His face was lit up with a playful smile as he looked me up and down.

"Hey beautiful. How 'bout you put the food down and join us?" He asked flirtatiously.

I heard a sharp thud and the flirty guy scrunched his face up in pain. "Dean!" The taller man scolded before looking at me. "Sorry about him, he has trouble controlling himself."

"Hey!" The man cried indignantly.

I laughed and shook my head. "It's okay, flirts I can deal with, just don't try to grab my ass." I said half-joking with a forced half-smile.

Concern flashed across the men's faces as they looked at each other.

"Does that stuff happen a lot?" The taller one asked quietly.

"Well, I kinda ask for it working at a truck-stop diner. Don't worry about it. I'm a big girl." I smiled at them, touched by their show of concern. They both sent me an unbelieving look before the doorbell chimed.

I tried to ignore the cat calling I heard as a group of young men entered the diner and eyed me as they sat down.

"Ugh, the highlight of my evening. Sorry boys, the chat's been fun, but I better get back to work. Enjoy your food!" I sat the plates down at the table and started to walk over to the table of rowdy young men when I felt someone grab my wrist gently. I turned quickly to meet the worried look of the taller man.

"If you need help just yell. We'll be here awhile anyway." I stared for a minute before carefully pulling my hand away and looking down shyly. "What's your name?" I asked quietly.

"Sam. And that's my brother Dean." He told me with a kind smile as he gestured to the flirty man at his table. "Maya." I told him and shot him a grateful smile as I made my way to the hostess stand to grab menus for the five men laughing obnoxiously.

As I approached their table, their eyes leered and they looked me up and down. A shudder went down my spine as I held the menus tighter to my chest. I stayed an arm's length away as I practically tossed the menus on the table.

"Can I get you guys a drink right away?"

"Are you an option?" The boldest guy asked with a smirk. I rolled my eyes and started to walk away when I felt an iron grip around my wrist.

"He asked you a question bitch." A second man spat out as he squeezed my wrist tighter and I could feel the bones grinding together as I tried to pry his fingers off of me.

"Let me go!" I begged as panic started to surge through me.

"Tony, relax. I like her spunk." The first man said with a deadly smile. The newly dubbed 'Tony' reluctantly released me and I rushed back into the kitchen. I quickly walked through the kitchen and into the employee bathroom, slamming the door shut behind me and sliding the bolt lock into place. I tried to control my shaking as I splashed water onto my face. I pulled my short, dark brown hair up into a low ponytail and dabbed my deep green eyes with a paper towel.

After a few minutes I felt like I had control of myself and walked back out into the kitchen. Anna, my boss's daughter and my best friend, sent me a worried look before returning to the dining room to serve her customers.

I walked over to the water carafe and filled five glasses with water, placing them on a small round tray, balancing it in on my good hand and took a deep breath before braving the dining room to face the table of men. As I approached the table, I found myself turning to look at Sam and Dean across the diner and saw them watching the men with anger and suspicion.

When Sam saw me looking at them, he sent me a reassuring smile, which helped me relax. When I made it to the table, I set the glasses down in front of each of them and pulled out my order pad, looking at them expectantly, desperately trying to control my shaking hands.

Four of the men looked to the fifth, the one who had hit on me, with a questioning, and an almost longing look that immediately set me on edge.

"We found what we were looking for. We'll be on our way. We'll be seeing you later." He leaned towards me when he said the last part, grinning maliciously. I pulled the tray against my chest and turned away, heading for Sam and Dean's table. I turned around once, only to be met with a predatory smile from the man they had called Tony as they walked out of the diner, the doorbell jingling as the door shut behind them.

I shuddered and rushed to my only other table where Sam and Dean now stood. When I approached, Sam touched my shoulder softly and I looked up at him, fear coursing through me.

"Are you okay? They didn't hurt you did they?" Sam asked as he looked me over. I started to shake my head as he lightly touched my wrist and I gasped and jerked away as a wave of pain shot through my wrist.

"Dude, what the hell? That wasn't there before." Dean muttered as he gently turned my wrist over, assessing the damage. I looked down at it and saw a dark, angry purple bruise in the shape of a hand wrapping around my wrist.

"H-how? That shouldn't have bruised already…" I whispered to myself.

I missed the glance they sent to each other, but felt it when Sam laid his hand on my upper arm.

"Okay, this is going to sound really weird, and I swear I'm not trying to hit on you," I couldn't help the snort that escaped me when he said this. He ignored me and continued, "But I think you would be safer if you came back with us tonight." Fear and shock were the first things I felt.

"NO!" I pulled away violently, banging into the table behind me. "No, I'll be fine." I tried to sound confident, but I was filled with so much fear and uncertainty. The boys strangely made me feel safe, but I had just met them today and there were some very crazy people out there. No way was I going to be the headline of the paper because I went home with a pair of mass murderers.

"Easy there! We aren't going to hurt you. Look, we'd feel much better if you'd at least let us drive you home alright? We'll leave right away we promise." Dean said soothingly. I felt my resolve chipping away as I saw the kindness and sincerity in their eyes. I let out a deep sigh and sent them one last calculating look before slowly nodding my head as I wrapped my arms around myself.

"Alright then, grab your stuff and let's bail!" Dean smiled as he grabbed his bag from his seat and stood at the door, watching us expectantly.

"Dean, we haven't even paid yet." Sam chided and turned to me.

"I can't charge a customer for food I dropped on the floor." I swatted the plates on the floor when I saw no one else was looking. "Oops! I'm so sorry you guys!" I sent them a wink of encouragement that Dean caught on to immediately.

"What the hell?! I'm not paying you to throw our food around! I wanna talk to your manager!" Right then, my boss Heidi walked out with a fake smile plastered to her face as she approached them.

"Is there something the matter sir?" She asked as she twirled a lock of her bleach blonde hair around her finger and pushed her chest out slightly as she looked Dean up and down. I cringed as I saw her husband Tom watching her display with disgust and annoyance from the kitchen. I felt bad for him, he was such a sweet man and he just put up with her for Anna and her little brother Jordan's sake.

"Yes! This poor woman is so overworked that she can't even hold onto the plates! How long has she been here?!" Dean ranted and customers started to stare and my boss was getting uncomfortable. She turned to me and gave me a forced, and obviously fake, sickly sweet smile.

"Maya, you've done good today, Anna and I can close up, why don't you go on home? Thank you for bringing her exhaustion to my attention. Have a good night gentlemen, next time you come in, dinner is on the house!" She gave Dean a sultry smile and swung her hips as she walked back into her office.

I had to stifle a giggle as I took off my apron and grabbed my keys, purse and jacket from underneath the register. I turned and saw Anna heading my way. I smiled at her as she approached and she giggled as she walked up to me.

"I heard what happened with my mom. That was awesome! Definitely one way to get off work early! So who are the guys?" She gestured to Dean and Sam, who were waiting for me at the door, talking in hushed voices to each other. She brushed a lock of her chocolate brown hair behind her ear as she tried to inconspicuously ogle them.

I chuckled and shook my head at her before responding. "Just a couple guys I met. They're going to give me a ride home. After the incident with those other guys earlier I didn't really want to walk back to my apartment." I suppressed a shudder as I remembered the man who hit on me, his eyes dark and violent, black hair cropped short. He would have been attractive if he wasn't so creepy.

Anna sent me a worried look as she glanced between me and the two men at the door. "Are you sure? I can give you a ride home if you want. I saw how scared you were earlier, what happened?" I smiled at her concern, shaking my head.

"It's okay, they're alright. I'll text you when I get home. If you don't hear from me by…"I glanced up at the clock and saw it was quarter to nine, "Ten thirty, then send the cops after me." I joked and she glared at me.

"Not funny Maya. Be careful okay? I'll see you Friday! And you better be ready to tell me what's going on!" She pulled me into a hug and skipped over to one of her tables. I turned and finally made my way over to the guys and smiled shyly.

"Thanks for that Dean! I don't remember the last time I got to leave work early." I stretched my arms over my head as I followed them out of the diner and over to a very old school black car. As we approached, Sam walked ahead and pulled open the back door for me and I thanked him as I climbed in, taking in the upholstery. Sam shut the door behind me and he and Dean climbed into the front seats.

"Nice car." I complimented as I ran my hand over the seats. Dean smiled at me in the rearview mirror proudly as he started the car. I buckled my seatbelt and returned his smile.

"Thanks! Baby's got a lotta life in her yet!" Dean patted the dashboard affectionately.

"Uhh…Baby?" I questioned.

"Yes Baby! Every nice car needs a name!" He cried indignantly. Sam just shook his head and I giggled quietly in the back.

"So Maya, where are we headed?" Sam turned to face me as he asked. I gave him the address and sat back in the seat, enjoying the smooth ride in the car.

When we pulled up to my rundown apartment, they both looked back at me.

"Uh, you sure this is the place?" Dean asked hesitantly. Sam sent me a worried look as he took in the old brick building that was falling apart with a menacing looking short metal gate that sat in front of the door to the building. The apartment was old enough that people didn't need to ring to be let in. I was never really worried though, the neighborhood wasn't as bad as it looked, and it was mostly families and the elderly that lived in this part of town and it was only me and the elderly woman a few doors down that lived in my apartment complex.

I snorted and nodded as I climbed out of the car. Sam rolled down his window and I walked up to the window and bent over so I could talk to them. "Don't worry, Old Mrs. Jenkins has a fiery temper, but she's mostly harmless." I chuckled at his 'Really?' look and backed up a bit.

"Thanks for the ride you guys. Maybe I'll see you around." I waved when I reached the gate and watched as they slowly drove away. I pulled open the gate, latching it shut behind me and made my way to my door. I unlocked the door and walked in, turning on the lights and tossing my keys on the counter as I kicked the door shut behind me, turning to lock the deadbolt. I tossed my jacket on the couch and plopped down on the recliner next to it. It was only a few seconds before a loud meow sounded from at my feet.

"Hey Sasha. Are you hungry pretty girl?" I cooed to my calico cat as she rubbed against my legs eagerly. I stood up and walked down the hall to the bathroom connecting to my bedroom where her porcelain food dish sat empty on the floor. I opened the cupboard under the small sink and pulled out a can of food. I pulled open the tabbed top of the cat food can, wincing as the motion strained my injured wrist and scraped it into her dish. She rubbed her face against my leg one more time before digging into her dinner.

I walked into my bedroom and opened the large cedar dresser, pulling out an extra-large sleep T-shirt and a pair of boy-short underwear. I went back into the bathroom and took a quick shower, changing into my sleep clothes and towel drying my hair. I opened the medicine cabinet above my sink and pulled out the Ace Bandage wrap and started wrapping my wrist in a makeshift brace.

Just as I was getting ready to climb into my small twin bed, I heard Sasha hissing and growling from the kitchen. I slowly grabbed the baseball bat that I always kept underneath my bed and slowly and quietly made my way down the hallway to the kitchen. When I got there, I froze in terror, the man that had hit on me and the one called Tony were sitting at my small kitchen table, watching Sasha with amusement as she arched her back and hissed, swatting her clawed paws at them.

When they looked up, I did the only thing I knew I could do, which was to scream bloody murder. And I did. However, I didn't get much out before Tony appeared in front of me; he backhanded me and threw me to the floor, knocking the baseball bat from my hands. I cried out in pain when my head hit the floor. I looked up and saw both men approaching me.

Fear clenched at my heart and I saw Sasha by her cat door and prayed that someone outside would see her. "Sasha! Outside now!" I called to her desperately, silently praying for her to listen to me. I mentally rejoiced when she obeyed. Tony went to follow her, but the other man stopped him. "It's just a cat. Besides, we have our catch already." He smirked at me as I grimaced and pulled my legs up to my chest, wrapping one arm around them while the other rested on my head. I felt blood drip through my fingers as I was hit with a dizzy spell.

I noticed them step closer with an odd look in their eyes. Tears flowed down my cheeks as I slid as far away from them as I could. I was too weak to run, so I sat there in the corner of my tiny kitchen as the two men crouched in front of me. I met their eyes and screamed when I saw two long, sharp fangs descend from their upper jaws.

"Don't worry love, it'll only hurt for a moment." The unidentified man said menacingly.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello! Here's the second chapter! Please leave me a review and let me know what you think!**

**~Disclaimer~ I do not own any part of Supernatural!**

* * *

Just as the unnamed man's fangs were approaching my neck, I heard a loud crash and a familiar pair of voices. "Maya!" Dean and Sam yelled out. The men in front of me stood up and hissed at the boys menacingly.

I was terrified and shaking like a leaf, but took this opportunity to crawl towards my bedroom. Once I was inside, I made my way into the attached bathroom, quietly shutting the door and turning the lock. I sat, curled up between my shower and toilet seat, making myself as small as possible as I rocked and prayed that the boys would be okay and those monsters would be gone.

Gunshots went off and I jolted, tears still streaming down my face. Screeching came next, paired with yells and banging. I knew I was going to die and in my fear, I failed to hear my apartment go silent and a gentle voice call out to me from through the bedroom door. A loud bang echoed from my bedroom and a strangled sob escaped me as I heard a knock on the bathroom door. I clenched my eyes shut as I waited for my inevitable death.

"Maya? Are you in there? It's me, Sam. Please open th-" I whipped open the door and collapsed, immediately relieved when I felt warm, gentle hands catch me. I desperately clung to his jacket sleeves as he lowered us to the ground and he looked me over for injuries.

"Holy shit… she doesn't look so good. I'm gonna go grab the first aid kit from the Impala, try to clean her up a bit." Dean told Sam, who nodded. I clung to him tightly, making it difficult for him to move. I looked up at him, meeting his warm, gentle eyes with my terrified green ones.

"It's okay Maya, they're gone. They won't bother you anymore. You need to let go of me so I can clean you up." As soon as he said to let him go I squeezed tighter.

"No! No-no-no-no please…don't leave!" I cried desperately as I clung to him. He gently pulled my hands from his sleeves and held them in his.

"Maya, look at me." I turned my fearful gaze up at him. "I'm not going anywhere. I'm just going to clean you up a little okay? I'm staying in here with you don't worry." I nodded my head slowly and watched as he stood up and began searching through the medicine cabinet above the sink and the cabinet next to the shower, grabbing the bottle of Tylenol and a small wash rag. He wet the rag in the sink and filled up the little plastic cup I kept next to it with water and returned to his spot crouched in front of me.

He popped open the pill bottle and pulled out two pills, handing them to me along with the glass of water. I took them from him, downing the pills and water quickly as I began to feel the pain from my attack.

Sam gently ran the cloth over my face, cringing when I hissed in pain as he passed over my lip which was still bleeding from Tony backhanding me. He ran his hand over my head gently, stopping and pulling back when I pulled away and cried out. He looked at his hand and his eyes went wide when he saw the blood coating his fingers.

"Alright Maya, let's get you out to the living room so we can take care of that." He said gently as he wrapped his arms around my back and under my knees, lifting me up and rising to his feet. I whimpered as the movement jostled my head. He sent me an apologetic look and slowly made his way into my living room.

I tensed as we entered the living room, sure that one of the men was going to jump out at us, but calmed down slowly as he set me on the couch. Before I could say anything, Sasha leapt onto my lap and yowled at me loudly. I cringed as my head pounded from the noise, but hugged her tightly as she purred.

"I'm so glad you're okay!" I cried as I hugged my cat tightly, relived to see her unharmed. Sam rubbed my back and reached over, scratching under Sasha's chin. When she stretched her neck out and continued to purr, I couldn't control the shocked look that came over my face. Sam noticed my look and gave me a questioning glance.

"What?" He asked curiously.

"Sasha hates people. The only other person that she's ever let pet her is Mrs. Jenkins and that's just because she's over here almost as much as I am." I watched in wonder as Sasha climbed off my lap and over to Sam, lying down in his lap, rolling around and making herself comfortable.

Suddenly the door crashed open and I jumped, clinging to Sam's sleeve and whimpering as I feared the worst. He squeezed my shoulder gently. "It's okay Maya, it's just Dean." I immediately relaxed and looked up, meeting Dean's worried green eyes.

Sam took the first aid kit from him as Dean sat on my other side and pulled out a bottle of peroxide and gauze. "Your head is going to need stitches. If you want we can take you to the hospital, but Sammy here is pretty good at patching people up. I think it would be best if you stayed out of public places for a while. There are still three of those bastards wandering around town and they're going to want revenge." Dean commented offhandedly as Sam cleaned my busted lip and head wound with the peroxide.

"I don't want to go to the hospital. I hate hospitals…" I muttered as memories flooded my mind. I pushed them away as I felt a sting of pain as Sam started to stitch up my head wound quickly and efficiently. I tried to distract myself, succeeding when I saw Sasha move from Sam's lap, walk over my lap and over to Dean's lap, where he promptly sneezed and pushed her off his lap.

"Sorry, allergic to cats." Dean said. I smiled as I picked Sasha up and cuddled her before settling her on my lap, causing Sam to grab my head and hold it still.

"Stop moving Maya." Sam chided softly as he finished the last few stitches. I muttered an apology as I watched my cat. She looked up at me and meowed softly before laying her head on her paws and closing her eyes. I rolled my eyes and turned away from her, looked out the window, cringing every time I saw a movement.

"Relax Maya. We won't let anything get you." Dean smiled and patted my knee. I turned to him and stared at him intently. "What?" He asked.

"What were those things? They had…fangs… and they hissed! What the hell is going on?!" I felt the panic coming back and I began to hyperventilate as I felt Sam grab my chin firmly, but gently and turned me to face him.

"Listen to me Maya, breathe with me okay? In," I took a deep breath in and held it as he did the same, "Out." I released the breath, repeating the process several times as I felt myself relaxing and regaining my composure.

"There you go. Okay, now I'm going to explain something to you, and it's going to probably sound totally crazy, but I swear I'm not lying to you okay?" I nodded gingerly. After saving me tonight, I had no doubts that Sam and Dean were legitimately good guys and I felt like I could really trust them.

Sam began by telling me about all the things that go bump in the night and what the brothers do for a living, he finally told me what had attacked me. "Those men were vampires. It's kind of unusual for them to act so out in the open like they did at the diner, but they're the reason we're in town. We were hunting them." Sam finished tentatively, taking in my expression. I was confused. How could all those monsters be real? But I had seen the fangs myself, so I knew he wasn't lying.

"Wow. So… what now?" I asked. They both stared at me in disbelief. "What?" I asked curiously.

"That's it? You just believe me?" Sam seemed shocked that I believed him at all.

"Well of course. You guys saved my life today! How could I not believe you? Besides, I saw the fangs with my own eyes, there's not much more convincing evidence than that." I watched as the boys looked between me and each other, waiting for them to say something.

"I think you need to come with us for a while." Dean suddenly stated. My eyes widened in disbelief as I heard this.

"I can't just leave! I have a job! And Sasha, I can't leave Sasha!" I began panicking as I thought about leaving.

"Calm down Maya!" Sam said as he gripped my shoulders gently. "There are still three vampires that had been in the diner, who knows how many more are actually at the nest. They'll want revenge and the best thing for you now would be to come with us. We travel all over the place so it'll be harder for them to find you." Sam reasoned. I thought about what he said and realized that he was right, but I was still having trouble with the idea of leaving my home.

"I thought you guys said you came here to hunt them. Are you just going to leave with some of them still around?"

"We got a lead on something important. We've been looking for our father and I think we found something that could help us find him. Plus after tonight, the other vampires are going to leave town to regroup and plan their next move." Sam explained.

"What about Sasha? And my job?" I asked quietly.

Sam nodded in understanding. "We can call your boss and say that there was an emergency and that you have to quit. Can't get in trouble for not giving your two week notice that way. And you said that Sasha liked your neighbor, so maybe she'll take care of her for you." I nodded, already knowing that Mrs. Jenkins would be more than willing to take her. She had always said that if I ever couldn't take care of her, that she would gladly take her off my hands. I picked Sasha from my lap and hugged her tightly.

"Okay… I know you're right. Let me just go pack up some things and I'll go talk to Mrs. Jenkins."

"You don't have to do all that tonight. It doesn't seem like anyone heard what went down. We'll stay outside tonight and keep watch and we'll leave tomorrow." I immediately protested.

"There is no way you guys are sleeping outside after saving my life! My recliner is really comfortable and the couch isn't too bad either. I'll get some extra blankets and pillows for you." I shuffled to the closet in the hallway and pulled out a couple knit blankets I had gotten from my grandmother when I was little and a couple small decorative pillows that I never felt the need to leave on the couch and made my way back to the living room. I handed both of them a pillow and a blanket and said goodnight before walking into my bedroom.

I was going to shut my door, but thought better of it, leaving a small crack open. Sasha was already in the room with me and curled up on my pillow next to where my head would be. I threw back the blankets and curled up in my small bed.

"I guess I really do have to leave Sasha. I'm going to miss you." I pulled her into a hug as a few silent tears tracked down my cheeks. Sasha mewed softly and curled up under my chin, her purring soothing me into a restful sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

**Here's chapter 3! Please leave me a review and let me know what you guys think!**

**~Disclaimer-I do not own Supernatural! I only own Maya~**

* * *

I woke up to Sasha mewling in my face pleadingly. I sighed and rubbed the sleep from my eyes. Pushing the blankets off of me, I walked over to my dresser and pulled out a pair of dark blue skinny jeans and black spaghetti strap tank top along with some underwear and shuffled into my bathroom.

After putting some food in Sasha's dish, I cranked up the hot water and stripped off my clothes, quickly cleaning myself, taking care with my stitches, and shutting off the shower, wrapping myself in a towel and making my way back to my bed where my clean clothes lay.

Thoughts of what I had to do today rushed through my mind as I pulled the brush carefully through my hair and brushed my teeth. When I had postponed the inevitable for as long as I could, I released a deep breath and pulled open my bedroom door. I walked down the hallway and entered the kitchen to see Sam and Dean already up sitting at my kitchen table.

"Morning Sunshine." Dean said with a smirk. I grunted a reply and started a pot of coffee.

"You guys want something to eat?" I asked as I pulled out a carton of eggs and a jug of orange juice before making my way to the bread box and pulling out a loaf of bread for toast.

"If you don't mind that would be great." Sam replied with a smile. I nodded and grabbed a frying pan out of the cupboard and turned on the stove.

"I have to use up as much of the food as I can since I'm not staying here." I said sadly as I started making the eggs. "I hope you guys like scrambled eggs because that's all I can make." I tried to lighten the mood, but both of the boys sent me sad looks.

"Look, I know it's hard to up and leave everything. Trust me, we understand what you're feeling, but you have to understand that it's the best choice for you to survive." Dean said sternly. Sam frowned at him and smacked his arm.

"It's okay Sam. He's right, and I know it. But it's still hard you know? To give up my home and my life because I'm being hunted by vampires? It's so crazy…" I let out a forced laugh as tears trailed down my cheeks. I quickly wiped them away and went back to the eggs. It was quiet after that until the eggs were done and plated. I handed each of the boys a plate and returned to the toaster, taking out the toast and putting a couple pieces on each of their plates.

I walked back to the coffee pot, grabbing three mugs from the cabinet and went back to the table. I filled up all three mugs with the steaming liquid and put the pot back in its place in the coffeemaker. I pulled open another cabinet and took out three small glasses and grabbed the jug of orange juice before taking my place at the table.

We ate in silence and once we finished, Dean let out a heavy sigh. "Look, we'll take care of your job and apartment, just take your cat and anything else you aren't bringing with you to your neighbors place and figure that out okay?" I gave him a grateful smile and nodded, handing him a slip of paper with my landlord and boss' numbers on it and made my way back into my bedroom.

I slipped into my mostly empty closet, pulling down the small black duffel bag that sat on a high shelf and grabbed my dark denim jean jacket from a hanger as well as the little black dress that I had gotten for my birthday from Anna a year ago. I put in one pair of heels and a pair of tennis shoes before making my way out to my dresser.

I pulled open the drawers and pulled out a few pairs of tops and bottoms as well as several pairs of underwear. A small silver box sat on top of the dresser. I opened the box and a soft, tinkling tune began as I looked inside. A small cross necklace sat delicately in the center; a small diamond decorated the middle. A silver chain sat next to it with a thick gold band and another silver diamond ring rested next to it. A deep sadness filled me as I closed the music box and placed it in my duffel bag.

I searched around the room, grabbing small sentimental things to bring along as well as some toiletries. A small photo album, my digital camera, a sketchbook and a few other small trinkets took up the rest of the space in my bag. I took my cell phone off my dresser and shoved it in my pocket before taking a plastic bag from under my bathroom sink and filling it with all the cat food I had stored up as well as Sasha's food and water dish and her bag of treats. She only had a few toys since she was such a lazy cat, but I grabbed them nonetheless and walked back into my bedroom.

When I turned around to leave the room, Sasha sat quietly in the doorway and meowed when she had my attention.

"Hey there sweetie." I cooed as I slung the bag over my shoulder. She trotted up to me and rubbed around my legs. I lifted her up into my arms and snuggled her, kissing her head and continuing out of my room.

"I'll be right back you guys, I'm just going to run Sasha over to Mrs. Jenkins and I'll meet you out by your car. Here's the key for the place too." I muttered as I took the key off the ring and handed it to Sam, who sent me another one of his sad, apologetic smiles.

I left my apartment after one final parting glance, and walked down the hallway to Mrs. Jenkins' door. I knocked on the door and continued petting Sasha as she purred loudly, rubbing her face against my chin.

After a moment of waiting, the door finally opened and a short, kind looking old woman stood at the door. Her gray hair was pulled back in a bun and a floral dress hung down to her ankles.

"Hello dear, you're over early." She greeted me kindly. I gave her a watery smile in return. "What's the matter honey?" She asked me.

"U-um, I need to leave. There was a family emergency and I have to go back to Oregon. I can't take Sasha with me and I was wondering if you could take care of her for me? I can't take her to a shelter."

"Of course dear, of course! You know I couldn't refuse such a sweet little cat! And Murphy has been missing his playmate anyway!" I smiled at her as her fat orange cat waddled into the entryway, yowling as soon as he saw Sasha. She meowed back at him but remained in my arms.

I walked into her apartment and sat the plastic bag of food and accessories on the kitchen table before giving Sasha one last hug and kiss. "I love you pretty girl, behave yourself okay?" She mewed and rubbed her head against me before I sat her on the ground. She wove herself between my legs and sat down, leaning heavily against my lower leg.

"I'll try to come back and visit sometimes, but I don't know when I'll be able to. Thank you for taking her in for me. You don't know how comforting it is to know she'll be with someone who loves her and knows how to take care of her. And you should go through my apartment and take whatever you think you could make use of. Otherwise the landlord will just burn it or something." I said as I handed her the spare key.

Mrs. Jenkins pulled me into a fierce hug, which I returned. "You never have to thank me for that honey. Just go take care of things and come visit whenever you can. You know you're always welcome here." She patted my back and I made my way out the door and back into the hallway.

"Goodbye Mrs. Jenkins. I'll call you when I get where I'm going." She nodded her head and I felt the tears build up as I watched Sasha stare at me from her place on the floor.

"Bye honey, take care of yourself. We'll be waiting or your call." She smiled sweetly at me and closed the door before her cat could escape. I wiped the tears from my eyes, readjusted my duffel bag on my shoulder and walked out of the building. When I looked up, I saw the boys leaning against their car, waiting patiently for me to get there.

"Sorry about the wait guys." Dean shrugged his shoulders and Sam shook his head.

"Don't worry about it Maya." I smiled at him and let him take my duffel bag from me. While he put it in the trunk, Dean and I climbed in the car. I pulled out my cell phone and sent a long text to Anna, explaining the situation as truthfully as I could before stuffing it back in my pocket clasping my hands together in my lap, sitting there awkwardly as I waited for Sam to get in the car.

"So…" I started awkwardly as I wrung my hands. "Where are we headed?"


	4. Chapter 4

**Here's Chapter 4! I hope you guys are liking the story so far! A big thanks to Morgan Elizebeth Jacobs for pointing out the fact that Dean is allergic to cats :) I fixed that part of the second chapter so we should be all good! Please leave me a review so I know how I'm doing! I unfortunately do not own Supernatural, just Maya**

* * *

"Well, we've been following this trail that our dad left for us. We're headed to Blackwater Ridge in Colorado."

"Colorado? How long is that going to take there from here?" I asked curiously. Sam chose this moment to get in the car, shutting the door and pulling out a map from the glove compartment.

"Well, we're in Tehachapi California now, so about 15 hours, give or take an hour or so. Get comfy doll." Dean smirked at me through the rearview mirror. I sighed and lay down across the backseat, staring at the roof of the car before dozing off.

I woke up a while later to the sound of the boys arguing in loud whispers, trying and failing to let me sleep.

"I'm telling you Dean, This Blackwater Ridge is in the middle of nowhere. What could Dad possibly want us to do there?" Sam said with a huff as he folded up the map, roughly shoving it back into the glove compartment.

"And I'm telling you, Dad wouldn't have left those coordinates for us if they didn't mean something. He may be there waiting for us Sammy, we can't just ignore it." Dean snapped back. I poked my head between the seats as I sat up.

"Hey guys?" They both jumped at my voice and turned to look at me.

"Morning Sleeping Beauty. Nice to see you joined the living." Dean winked at me before turning back to the road. I rolled my eyes but smiled slightly at him and turned to Sam.

"Sorry Maya, we didn't mean to wake you." He said apologetically.

"Don't worry about it Sam, how long have I been asleep?" I stretched my arms as high as I could, letting my back pop and feeling the wonderful pain of stretching sore muscles.

"We thought you might have gone into a coma. You've been asleep for ten hours." Dean answered.

"Ten hours?! Holy shit…" I couldn't believe how long I had slept. Even on a good night, my nightmares usually woke me after 5 or 6 hours. I was relieved that I had two nights in a row of dreamless sleep. I was feeling more energized than I ever have and suddenly I started to feel slightly stir crazy. And I had to pee. Badly.

"Uhh.. guys? Do you think we could stop at a gas station or something soon?" I asked as I crossed my legs together, wiggling in my seat.

"We just stopped a couple hours ago. We got you a sandwich and water." Dean threw over his shoulder as he continued to drive down the highway.

"Yeah…not what I need right now." I muttered. Sam apparently heard me as he turned in his seat to face me, taking in my desperate position in the backseat. He let out a laugh and lightly smacked his brother's arm.

"Dude, she needs to go." Dean looked at his brother in shock.

"Sam, we already discussed this and you were the one that said we should bring her along-" Sam cut off Dean's rant with a loud laugh and shook his head.

"Not what I meant man." I decided I had waited long enough and gripped the two headrests of the boy's seats and pulled my head up between theirs.

"I have to pee. Like now would be great." I hissed through my teeth as I desperately tried to control my bladder.

"Oh. Well why didn't you say so Princess?" He pulled up to the gas station and I practically leapt out of the car in my desperation, hearing Sam chuckle as he followed me into the building. I quickly made my way to the restroom and took care of my business before walking out and finding Sam still poking his way through the aisles.

I looked out the large windows and saw Dean filling up the Impala and getting back inside. I turned back to Sam, who was now standing next to me. I smiled and waited for him to lead the way to the register.

He cocked his head to the side as he noticed my empty hands. "Aren't you going to get anything?" I shook my head and shrugged my shoulders.

"You guys already got me something to eat and some water, I'll be fine. I don't want you guys spending all your money on me and I don't have any on me." He snorted at that and I furrowed my brows in confusion.

"It's not exactly our money." I was still confused. "I'll explain later." He responded as he saw my confusion growing. "Just go pick out some candy or something. We still have a few hours left before we get there." I finally agreed and picked out a small bag of lemon drops and starburst, as I followed Sam to the checkout.

"Hello, any gas today?" The bored looking older man asked as we approached the counter.

"I think he paid with a credit card, we were on pump four." Sam told him as he unloaded his armful of goodies. The man nodded and began ringing up our purchase. I sat my candy on the counter alongside Sam's and patiently waited for the man to finish.

He looked up and took notice of me, giving me a wink and a flirtatious smile, which made me cringe and sidle up to Sam's side. Sam, being the sweetheart he is, noticed the man's creepy smile and put a comforting arm around my shoulders, pulling me close and glaring at the man menacingly.

The man faltered under Sam's angered gaze as he quickly finished the transaction. Sam gave the man one last glare before pulling me out of the gas station and back to the Impala.

Dean raised an eyebrow at Sam's arm over my shoulders and our close proximities before a smirk quickly replaced his surprise.

"Well that didn't take long Sammy." I blushed furiously at the comment and pulled away, hurrying to open the door and climbing in the backseat. I could still hear them talking, but at least they couldn't see my red face anymore.

"Dude, it wasn't like that. The cashier was gawking at her and it made her nervous. Don't be an ass." Sam explained. A scowl quickly replaced the smirk on Dean's face and he nodded his head without saying anything else. The two got in the car and we continued our long drive to Blackwater Ridge.

We finally made it to some small town near Blackwater Ridge, finding a small motel and carrying our bags into the lobby to book ourselves a room. I had my duffel bag resting over my shoulder with my purse in my hand as I trailed behind Sam, who was carrying his own bag and laptop case with Dean in the lead with his bag hefted over his shoulder.

I stuck close to Sam as we entered the dingy motel, fear spiking through me as the greasy man behind the counter looked up at us. I remained behind Sam as he and Dean booked the room and led me to our room.

After Dean unlocked the door and pushed it open, he backed up and bowed extravagantly as he allowed me to walk in first. I chuckled at his antics and walked inside, seeing a very grimy room. Two queen beds took up the majority of the room with a small door that I assumed led to the bathroom and a very small box TV on top of a small stand with old school rabbit ear antennas on the top.

I shifted my attention to the two beds and looked at the boys questioningly. Dean shrugged his shoulders and Sam rubbed the back of his neck nervously as they saw my reaction to the beds.

"Yeah, this was the biggest room they had. If you don't want to share, me or Dean can take the floor. It's no big deal." I shook my head at Sam and put my duffel bag and purse on the bed closest to the bathroom.

"Don't worry about it. I can share a bed, there's no way you guys are sleeping on the floor after everything you've done for me." When they started to protest I held up my hand to stop them. "Don't even try. I will be perfectly fine, I'm not afraid of you guys anymore." I smiled at them. Dean huffed at me and sent me an incredulous look.

"When were you ever afraid of us?" I laughed lightly before explaining.

"How about the day I met you? I had just met you guys, got hit on and my wrist bruised from a group of random guys that walked in and then you asked me to go home with you! How was I supposed to know that you weren't all in on some plot to kidnap me or something!" I laughed at the look on their faces when I said I thought they were going to kidnap me.

"Do you really think we'd do that?" Dean ranted as I continued to laugh.

"Not anymore! That's why I'm willing to share a bed. I'm going to go take a shower." I pulled out a pair of sweatpants and was rifling through my bag looking for a sleep shirt. After a few minutes of searching and still finding nothing, I let out an annoyed groan and stood up.

"What's the matter?" Sam asked. He was seated on the bed I had set my bag on with his laptop in his lap as he researched whatever 'case' they were planning on going on tomorrow.

"I forgot to pack my big sleep shirts…" I mumbled. Before I could say anything else, Sam reached into his bag, pulling out a black t-shirt and tossing it lightly to me. "T-thanks." I blushed lightly and carried the clothes into the bathroom, hearing Dean snicker and say something to Sam, resulting in a loud 'thud' and an irritated "OUCH" from Dean. I smiled at them and locked the door.

I turned the crank on the small shower as hot as I could, and received lukewarm water in return. I sighed sadly and undressed. I stepped into the shower and shivered slightly as the cool water ran over me. I washed and rinsed my hair and body with the hotel shampoo and soap before turning off the water and drying off with the scratchy towel hanging on the shelf beside the dirty sink.

I pulled on my underwear and sports bra before I put on the large gray sweatpants and Sam's black t-shirt. I could smell him on the shirt and I couldn't help but smile. I gathered up my clothes and the wet towel and unlocked and opened the door. I walked up to my bag and put my dirty clothes in a side zipper of my bag and draped my towel over a pointless lamp in the far corner of the room.

Seeing his opportunity, Sam went into the bathroom with a change of clothes, locking the door behind him. I heard the shower start up as I climbed into the bed we were going to share, pushing my duffle bag onto the floor. I looked over to the TV set up between the two beds to see what Dean had found to watch. Seeing Jerry Springer made me scoff and I pulled a book out of my bag that rested on the floor next to the bed.

Dean turned to look at me when I scoffed and sent me a mischievous smirk as he faced me from his bed. I eyed him suspiciously, waiting for him to say something.

"What is it?" I asked slowly, not entirely sure I wanted the answer.

"Oh nothing. Just couldn't help but notice that you're in Sammy's shirt." I blushed and scowled.

"Yeah, so?"

"And you're sharing a bed with him." I sighed. He continued to smirk at me from his perch on the bed.

"Dean, I heard you guys play rock paper scissors and when you lost, you pitched a fit about having to share a bed so he let you have the bed to yourself. What did you expect? I told you, no one was sleeping on the floor." He ignored me to continue his teasing.

"I've seen the way you look at him. You can't hide things from me sweetheart." I threw my hands up in frustration just as Sam walked out of the bathroom, dressed in dark blue sweatpants and a dark gray t-shirt.

"Dean, leave her alone already." Dean huffed and took his turn for the shower. After he closed and locked the door and the water started running, I put my book back in my bag and pulled the covers over me, facing away from Sam as I reached over to turn off the small lamp.

"Sorry about Dean, Maya. I'd like to say he isn't usually this annoying, but then I'd be lying." I chuckled as I rolled over onto my back and shook my head dismissively.

"Don't worry about it. I can handle teasing." He smiled at me and climbed into the bed, pulling the covers up and leaning back against his pillows.

"Night Sam." I said softly as I felt myself starting to doze off.

"Goodnight Maya." He responded as I felt him shift on the bed.

"Night ladies!" We heard Dean yell from the bathroom.

"Night!" and "Shut up!" were his replies.


	5. Chapter 5

**Here's the chapter six! I don't own Supernatural, I only own Maya! A huge thank you to** Tvchick08**, **Morgan Elizebeth Jacobs**, and** Adrillian1497** for reviewing! Also thanks to all the favorites and follows! Please leave me a review so I know how I'm doing!**

* * *

When I woke up the next morning, I found myself pressed up back to back with Sam. I felt myself blush as I looked over to the other bed, finding Dean missing. I slowly crept out of bed, trying to let Sam sleep, but as soon as I moved I felt him shift.

He groaned as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes and looked at me. "Morning. What time is it?"

"Morning. It is…" I glanced over at the small clock on the nightstand between the beds, "Six thirty-five." I told him as I stood up and stretched, feeling my back and shoulders pop.

"Dean must be getting coffee." Sam grumbled as he stood up as well, stretching the sleep and stiffness from his joints. I dug through my duffel bag, grabbing a pair of tan cargo pants and a dark green tank top as well as underwear and made my way into the bathroom. I grabbed my toothbrush from the sink and brushed my teeth before putting on my clothes.

After I was dressed, I brushed through my hair quickly and carefully, pulling it into a low, loose, messy bun before exiting the bathroom to see that Dean had returned with three coffees and a box of doughnuts.

"Lookin' good Sweetheart." Dean winked at me as I left the bathroom. I flushed with embarrassment as I walked around him to put my clothes in my duffel bag.

A loud thud sounded from behind me and when I turned to see what it was, I saw Dean rubbing the back of his head, glaring at Sam and a hiking boot sitting on the floor beside Dean.

"Dude, seriously! Stop throwing your damn boot at me!" Dean scolded as he nursed his injured head.

"Then leave her alone." Sam replied simply as he tied the string of his other boot. I couldn't help but chuckle at their banter as I pulled on my tennis shoes, lacing them up tight and gathering my things back into my bag.

Dean huffed and grabbed his bag from his bed. "Let's get moving ladies. We have work to do today!"

I stopped what I was doing to stare at him. After a moment I cleared my throat softly, but loud enough that both boys turned to me. "Um, what exactly am I going to be doing?" I asked nervously.

"Don't worry babe, we won't let anything hurt you." Dean winked at me as he made his way out of the motel room. Sam rolled his eyes at him before turning to me and smiling.

"Seriously, don't worry. We won't let you come with us if it turns out to be something too dangerous. But if you're going to be with us for a while, it might be best for you to get some exposure to what we do." He said sadly. I didn't understand why he was so sad, but I nodded my head before pulling my bag over my shoulder and grabbing my purse and breakfast and following him out of the room.

After we were all seated in the Impala, Dean pulled out and drove us to a small wilderness center. We walked inside to see pictures and maps covering the walls of the main lobby. There was a brochure stand near the door filled with advertisements and information on surrounding sights and activities.

I poked through the ads while the boys took in the maps and pictures. "Whoa, look at the size of that grizzly! That sucker's huge!" Dean exclaimed as he pointed out a picture of a man standing next to a very large, dead grizzly. I heard a door click and turned to see a ranger walking out of an adjoining office.

"You lot aren't planning on going up to Blackwater Ridge are you?" The man asked, perching his hands on his hips.

Dean shook his head and smiled at him. Sam spoke up before Dean had the chance. "No sir, we're environmental studies majors from UC Boulder. Just working on a paper."

"Yeah, recycle man!" Dean pumped his fist in the air slightly. I rolled my eyes and continued rifling through pamphlets.

"Bull." The ranger said confidently. Dean and Sam looked shocked and nervous. I turned to watch what was going on after putting a brochure back on the shelf. "You're friends with that Hailey girl aren't you?"

Dean was the first to recover. "Yes. Yeah we are Ranger…Wilkinson."

Wilkinson let out a sigh before turning back to his desk. "Well I'll tell you exactly what I told her. Her brother filled out a backcountry permit saying he wouldn't be back from Blackwater 'til the 24th. Not exactly a missing person now is it? Tell that girl to quit worrying. I'm sure her brother is fine."

"We will. Man, that Hailey girl, quite a pistol isn't she?" Dean said. My eyes widened in surprise. He didn't know her, did he?

Wilkinson huffed out a chuckle. "That is putting it mildly."

Dean nodded in agreement. "Actually, you know what would help, if I could show her a copy of the permit so she could see her brother's return date. I'm sure it would make her feel better."

We walked out of the station, permit in hand and made our way to the Impala. Sam turned to Dean and scoffed.

"So, what? You cruising for a hookup?" Dean looked confused.

"What do you mean?"

"The coordinates point to Blackwater Ridge. We should just go. Go and find Dad, I mean, why even talk to this girl?" Sam waved his arm in frustration as he ranted. I stood back away from them. I had never done well with fighting and preferred to stay out of the line of fire should worse come to worst.

"I don't know, maybe we should find out what we're walking into before walking into it." Dean looked at Sam incredulously. "What?" Sam snapped.

"Nothing. Just, since when are you all shoot first, ask questions later?" Dean retorted.

"Since now." Sam said shortly. Dean didn't say anything back, just shook his head and got into the car. Sam did the same and they both looked at me expectantly. I quietly climbed into the back seat, closing the door carefully and wringing my hands together nervously in the center back seat.

We approached the door of the small house, Dean and Sam up front with me hanging back behind them awkwardly. I felt like a five year old in a business meeting. Awkward.

Dean knocked on the door and waited. A young woman with long, wavy brown hair pulled open one of the doors, watching us cautiously through the screen.

Dean smiled at her, which she ignored. "You must be Hailey Collins. I'm Dean, this is Sam and Maya. We're rangers from the park service, Ranger Wilkinson sent us to ask you some questions about your brother Tommy?"

She stared at us all skeptically for a long moment. "Lemme see some ID." She crossed her arms over her chest and waited. Dean smirked and pulled out his fake ID, pressing it up against the screen. After a moment of contemplation, she pushed open the screen door. "Come on in."

Before we got inside, she looked behind us. "That yours?" She asked us. Dean nodded and grinned. "Nice car." She said as she walked into another room. Dean turned to Sam and started mouthing something to him that I didn't catch, but made Sam roll his eyes as we followed her inside.

She led us into a kitchen, where a younger boy sat at the table, pushing the food in his bowl around as he eyed us shyly. "That's Ben." Hailey called out from the kitchen.

Sam and Dean wasted no time getting to the point. "So, how do you know your brother is missing?" Dean asked as Hailey carried in a pot of spaghetti sauce, stirring slightly before answering.

"He always sends us a video to check in." She answered confidently.

"Maybe he doesn't have service where he's at." Sam suggested gently. Hailey shook her head.

"He has one of those satellite phones." She looked down thoughtfully.

"Maybe he just forgot or something." Dean said nonchalantly. Ben looked up from his plate and glared at him.

"He wouldn't do that." Dean raised his eyebrows at him and he looked back down to his plate. Hailey rested her hand on his shoulder and turned to address Dean. I made my way over to Sam and stood there awkwardly. He sent me an apologetic smile, but said nothing as he turned to listen to Hailey.

"Our parents are gone. It's just my two brothers and me now so we keep pretty close tabs on each other." She smiled sadly down at Ben as she said this.

"Do you think I could see those pictures he sent you?" Sam asked suddenly, changing the subject.

"Yeah, sure." Hailey assented and led them over to the computer, pulling up a file and opening up a set of pictures and videos. Sam sat in front of the computer while Dean and I leaned over his shoulders. We looked through pictures of trees and hills, finally coming to one of a smiling young man in a campsite.

"That's Tommy." Hailey told us sadly. Sam nodded and continued perusing the folder.

He got to a video of Tommy and played it. While he was speaking, I noticed a shadow pass by in the background and gasped quietly. Sam turned to me and sent me a meaningful look before turning back to Hailey.

"Well, try not to worry too much; we're going out tomorrow to search." Dean smirked as he paced through the kitchen.

"Maybe we'll see you out there then." She said strongly. Dean and Sam glanced at each other before looking at her questioningly.

"Look, I can't sit here doing nothing anymore. So I hired a guide and I'm going to bring him back myself." She crossed her arms over her chest, as if daring them to argue with her.

"I think I understand exactly how you feel." Dean said, sending her an understanding and sad look. Hailey's expression softened and she nodded.

"Can you send me that video?" Sam asked. Hailey nodded and Sam and Dean stood up and walked to the door. I followed, but before I got to the door, I turned and softly laid my hand on her arm.

"He'll be okay, try to get some rest tonight okay?" I said shyly. She sent me an appreciative smile and nodded. We made our way outside and into the Impala and Dean drove us to our hotel.

**Review! :D**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey everyone! Sorry for the huuuuge gap between updates, I'm still trying really hard to balance school and work and life in general :S I hope you guys like the chapter! Please review and let me know what you think!**

**~Disclaimer~ I do not own Supernatural! I only own my OC :)**

When we were back in the room, Dean dropped his keys on the small table between the beds and clapped his hands together.

"Alright ladies, it's seven now, we're going to the bar at nine so pretty yourselves up!" He smirked as he jumped on his bed and started clicking through channels.

"Um…why?" I asked curiously. Dean scoffed and turned to me.

"Because that's where the magic happens." He winked and turned back to the television.

"You don't have to go if you don't want to. We won't be gone too long, you could just hang out here in the room." Sam suggested. I couldn't help but think back to why I was with them in the first place.

"No, I'll go with you guys. I'm still in hiding from those…vampires. I don't want to be alone." I finished quietly. Sam patted my shoulder comfortingly before going into the bathroom for a shower.

"You know we won't let anything happen to you right?" Dean asked seriously from his bed. I looked up and met his intense gaze. I nodded my head and smiled at him.

"Yeah, I know." Dean nodded.

"Good." He said pleasantly.

"Thank you." I said strongly. "What for?" He looked confused.

"Uhh…for saving my life? And dragging me around with you, despite the fact that I have never hunted before in my life and may get you killed?" I said sarcastically.

"Pshh, if anything is going to get us killed, it'll be us. Not you, babe." He chuckled at my incredulous look.

"Seriously. Don't worry about it. If we weren't sure about you coming with us, we never would have invited you. We would have taken you to someone else." He said without a doubt.

I smiled and nodded again before poking through my bag for something to wear to a bar. I decided on a pair of low rise, dark wash skinny jeans, short black heels, and deep green V-neck tank top.

I piled the clothes on the bed and pulled out a book, skimming through it while I waited for Sam to finish in the bathroom. A few minutes passed and he came out, his shaggy hair damp. He was only wearing jeans, and his well-defined chest made me blush.

I hurried into the bathroom before Dean could notice my reddening cheeks and took a hot shower. I pulled on my clothes quickly and toweled my hair dry. I noticed that my makeup bag was still in here from the day before, so I poked through it, pulling out the dark bronze eye shadow, black eyeliner and mascara. I put on my makeup and started brushing through my hair.

I ruffled my hair to help it dry and walked out of the bathroom. Dean looked me up and down and whistled appreciatively and Sam just stared. I blushed and looked down in embarrassment.

"Don't be like that sweetheart! You look great!" Dean grinned. Sam nodded his head and finished buttoning up his flannel shirt. Dean was wearing his usual dark jeans and biker boots with a black t-shirt and his jacket over it.

"You ready to go?" Sam asked me. I nodded, pulled on my heels and grabbed my purse as we walked out the door.

* * *

The bar was busy when we got there and Dean went ahead to get us a table. Sam rested his hand on the small of my back as he led me through the crowd to the table Dean had found. I tried to stop the blush, but I could still feel my face heat up at the contact. The amount of blushing these boys made me do was ridiculous!

Dean sat on one side of the table and I moved to sit on the other, but he grabbed my wrist and pulled me down next to him, slinging his arm over my shoulder and pulling me in.

"Sammy doesn't get to hog you tonight." He said boldly as he leaned back in the booth. I shook my head and grinned.

"Aww, does Dean need some attention?" I smirked at his playful scowl.

"Yes." I laughed out loud at this and Sam smirked before he got up to get us drinks.

"Maya, what do you drink?" I cocked my head thoughtfully.

"Get me a Sex on the Beach?" I asked.

"Anytime babe." Dean winked at me. I elbowed him in the side and Sam shook his head before walking off.

"You are such a smartass." I told Dean as he eyed the women wandering the bar.

"And you're a tease." He smirked down at me. I sent him a blank look.

"I'm not a tease, Dean. You're just a flirt." Dean shook his head and turned to me.

"No, you wearing that and saying you want sex on the beach is being a tease." I scoffed and shoved him playfully.

"No, that's called being a girl!" He laughed and ruffled my hair affectionately. Sam returned and handed us our drinks before sliding into his seat across from us. He pulled a folder and his laptop out and laid them on the table.

"Okay, so Blackwater Ridge doesn't get much for traffic, but two hikers went missing this past April. They were never found." Sam was all business as he explained this to Dean and I.

"Anything before that?" Dean asked as he looked over the file.

"Yeah, in '82, eight different people went missing. All just vanished. It was thought to be a grizzly attack. There were also disappearances in '59 and '36."

"Every 23 years…" Dean said thoughtfully.

"Like clockwork." Sam agreed. "And check this out." He turned the computer around so Dean and I could see. He pressed play, and the video played in slow motion. I saw the shadow flash across the screen, and judging by Dean's small intake of breath, I assumed he did as well.

"That's three frames. That's a fraction of a second. Whatever this thing is, it can move." Sam continued. Dean leaned across the table and punched Sam's shoulder roughly.

"Ow! What the hell, Dean?" Sam grumbled as he rubbed his shoulder.

"Told you something weird was going on!" Dean said victoriously.

"Yeah." Sam said simply as he closed his laptop. I chuckled at their interaction and sipped on my drink. "There's something else." He continued. He handed a newspaper article over to Dean, who took it and skimmed through it.

"In '59, one camper survived the supposed grizzly attack. Just a kid. Barely able to crawl out of the woods alive." Sam explained. Dean continued looking through the article for a moment and I finished my drink.

"This guy got a name?"

* * *

I followed behind Sam and Dean, wrapping Sam's huge jacket tighter around myself as an old man led the three of us through his house. We had learned that this man's name was Mr. Shaw and found our way to where he lived so the boys could question him. Shaw lit up a cigarette and took a deep drag, blowing the smoke out soon after.

"Look ranger, I don't know why you're asking me about this. It's public record. I was a kid. My parents got mauled by a-"

"Grizzly?" Sam interrupted. "That's what attacked them?" Shaw took another deep drag of his cigarette and nods his head, releasing the puff of smoke into the air. I choked back a cough as the smell made my eyes water. Dean sent me a puzzled look, which I waved off and turned my attention back to Shaw.

"So the other people who went missing that year, those bear attacks too?" Dean asked unbelievingly. There was an awkward pause as Shaw thought to himself.

"What about all the people that went missing this year? Same thing?" Dean questioned.

He continued when he saw the hesitation on Shaw's face. "If we knew what we were dealing with, we might be able to stop it."

"I seriously doubt that. Anyways, I don't see what difference it would make." Shaw sighed in defeat and slumped into a chair. "You wouldn't believe me. Nobody ever did."

Sam walked over, seating himself in a chair across from Shaw. Dean and I remained standing as we listened.

"Mr. Shaw, what did you see?" Sam asked gently. Shaw sat in silence for a moment, lost in thought.

"Nothing. It moved too fast for me to see. It hid too well. I heard it though, a roar. It was like no man or animal I ever heard."

"It came at night?" Sam questioned. When Shaw nodded his head, Sam asked him another question. "It got inside your tent?"

Shaw looked at Sam with frustration. "It got inside our _cabin_. I was sleeping in front of the fireplace when it came in. It didn't smash a window, or break a door. It unlocked it. Do you know of a bear that could do something like that? I didn't even wake up until I heard my parents screaming." He ran an anxious hand through his hair.

"It killed them?" Sam inquired.

Shaw nodded again. "Dragged them off into the night." Shaw shook his head, face full of emotion. "Why it left me alive…been asking myself that ever since." He raised his hand to his collar and pulled it down, showing a set of three long, deep scars. I gasped quietly as I saw them, gripping Dean's jacket sleeve. "Did leave me this, though. There's something evil in these woods. It was some sort of demon."

* * *

After our meeting with Shaw, Dean drove us back to the hotel. I dug through my bag, grabbing my sweatpants and Sam's shirt and went into the bathroom before the boys had gotten in from the car. While I was in the bathroom, I brushed my teeth and hair. When I walked out, the boys were sitting on the beds talking quietly.

When they saw me exit the bathroom, they stopped talking and Dean rushed for the bathroom. I sent Sam a questioning look, which he avoided.

"Sam?" I asked quietly. He turned to me, giving me a nervous smile. "What was that about?" He ran his hand through his hair anxiously and let out a heavy sigh.

"Would you believe me if I said it was nothing?" He sent me a crooked smile. I shook my head and sent him a small smile in return.

"I'm not stupid Sam. If you don't want to talk about it, that's fine. It's none of my business anyway." I tossed my outfit from earlier in my duffel bag and climbed on the bed and leaned back against the headboard. He turned and looked at me, before turning completely to face me.

"No, it's something you should have a say in." He sighed in defeat. I cocked my head and raised my eyebrows at him, not saying anything.

"We were talking about what we were going to do tomorrow. We have to go to Blackwater Ridge tomorrow and find out where that kid is. We may not be sure what the thing is, but I'm sure it's going to be dangerous. I think it would be best for you to stay here, where it's safe."

I said nothing until he finished explaining. I looked at him after he went quiet, and saw the hopeful look he was giving me. I shook my head at him and turned to face him, crossing my legs and resting my hands in my lap.

"Listen, I know you're trying to protect me, and I really do appreciate it. But if I'm going to be able to stay with you guys, I need to learn how to protect myself, and I won't be able to do that from the hotel room." Sam looked down at his hands as I continued. "Even if I did just stay in the room all the time, if those things show up when you guys are out on a hunt or something, I wouldn't be able to do anything. I'd be as good as dead." I finished quietly.

Sam looked up at me with determination. "We won't let anything happen to you, Maya." I shook my head at him again.

"I know that, but there's nothing you can do if you aren't there." He nodded his head and let out a heavy breath.

"Okay. Dean said just about the same thing, so I guess it's decided. We should get some sleep for tomorrow then. Lots of hiking to do." I groaned in annoyance, but squirmed my way under the blankets.

After getting comfortable under the blankets, I looked up to see Sam leaning back against the headboard doing research on his laptop.

"Hey, Sam?" I mumbled. He turned to look at me.

"Yeah, Maya?"

"This may be a weird, random question, but…do you not want to do this job?" I asked tentatively, unsure of what his reaction would be. He stiffened slightly, but didn't seem angry. He looked away before he answered.

"That's not it… I just think we have other things we should be more focused on right now. But don't worry about it okay? Just get some rest." He finished flatly. I fidgeted slightly under the blankets.

"Sorry." I whispered from my spot under the covers. He sighed and sent me a small smile.

"You have nothing to be sorry for. Now go to sleep." I nodded my head and yawned as I finally closed my eyes.

"Night Sam."

"Goodnight Maya."


End file.
